The present invention generally relates to flat panel display monitors, and more particularly to supporting apparatus for supporting a flat panel display monitor so that it may be viewed by a user.
Flat panel display monitors are becoming increasingly popular primarily because they may be placed in much narrower spaces than conventional cathode ray tube (CRT) display monitors due to their shallow depth. Such monitors are typically provided with a supporting mount such as a pedestal mount, picture frame mount, or the like providing a tilting mechanism for allowing a user to tilt the monitor vertically (and often horizontally). In this manner, the user may adjust the monitor""s tilt angle to suit his or her viewing needs. For example, a taller user may tilt the monitor upward, while a shorter user will normally tilt the monitor downward, to provide a viewing angle that is substantially normal to the surface of flat panel display. Because the pedestal must support the monitor if it is tilted to an extreme angle, its base must be made sufficiently large to prevent the monitor from tipping over. Consequently, the depth of the base must be substantially thicker than the monitor itself, reducing the attractiveness of the monitor and increasing the size of its xe2x80x9cfootprintxe2x80x9d (i.e., the amount of desk space required by the monitor).
Consequently, it may often be desirable to remove the monitor from the desktop entirely. For example, it may be desirable to hang the monitor from a wall, shelf or the like. Known to the art are mounting devices having bases which may be clamped to a surface such as the edge of the desktop, a pole, or the like. However, such mounting devices cannot be used to support the monitor in the absence of the surface to which they are designed to be clamped. Thus, if the user desires to set the monitor on a desktop, a second stand must be provided. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a support or mount for a flat panel display monitor that is capable of allowing the monitor to be hung from objects such as a cubical wall, a tower or mini-tower case, an automobile or aircraft seat back, a bookshelf, or the like while retaining the ability to support the monitor on a generally horizontal surface such as a table or desk top surface.
The present invention is directed to a convertible hanging support or mount for a flat panel display monitor that is capable of allowing the monitor to be hung from an object such as a cubical wall, a tower or mini-tower case, an automobile or aircraft seat back, a bookshelf, or the like while retaining the ability to support the monitor on a generally horizontal surface such as a table or desk top surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the mount is comprised of a support including a first segment and a second segment. A mount is coupled to the support for attaching the support to the flat panel display monitor. The second segment is joined to the first segment so that the support may move or fold between a first position wherein the second segment extends outward from the first segment and a second position wherein the second segment is disposed generally adjacent to the first segment. In this manner, the support is suitable for attachment to an object such as a cubical wall, seat back, tower or mini-tower computer case, or the like, when folded to the first position and forms a stand for supporting the monitor on a generally horizontal surface when folded to the second position.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.